Asia, Pakistan, Saraghrar and Other Peaks, Hindu Kush

Saraghrar and Other Peaks, Hindu Kush. Our expedition was composed of Anita Burkhardt-Fendt, Klaus Cramer, Adolf Rottach, Tobias Ametsbichler and me as leader and until August 10 Dr. Ulrich Schmidt-Riese. We traveled via Dir, the Lowari Pass and Chitral into the Hindu Kush. We arrived at Washich/ Zanglasht in the Turikho valley by jeep on August 3. With 24 porters, we made the four-day approach to Base Camp on the upper Niroghi Glacier at 4270 meters, via Ziwar Uts and Gramshal in the Ziwar Gol and the Huskho Glacier. We established Base Camp on August 7. Rottach and Schmidt-Riese placed a camp at 4700 meters on the Arunghori Glacier and on August 9 made the first ascent of Istor-Ghuni-East (5610 meters, 18,406 feet) by the 600-meter-high 40° north ice slope. Camp I for Saraghrar was set up on August 11 at 5220 meters. We decided to leave the first-ascent route and to climb the 600-meter-high 55° northeast ice slope to place Camp II at 6140 meters on August 15. We then joined the first-ascent route again to establish Camp III at 6690 meters. In this section there were some 60° ice steps and a 100-meter-high 50° ice face. On August 20, Rottach, Ametsbichler, Cramer and I made the second ascent of Saraghrar North (7040 meters, 23,097 feet) and Ametsbichler and I continued on to make the second ascent of Saraghrar (7349 meters, 24,112 feet). After placing an inter mediary camp above Base Camp, Rottach and Ametsbichler on August 26 made the first ascent of Sucai Zom North (5963 meters, 19,564 feet). They climbed the north ridge and north face, a vertical ascent of 1000 meters mostly on 40° to 55° ice with short 90° steps. From an intermediary camp at 5000 meters on the Sorlawi Glacier, Cramer, Anita Burckhardt-Fendt and I on August 26 made the first ascent of a 5800-meter (19,029-foot) unnamed peak in the ridge that runs to the northeast from Saraghrar east of P 6421. We suggest it be called Sorlawi Zom. We returned in three days with 15 porters to Wasich/Zanglasht.